The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-07-01
HUGE PORK FIRE.
Destruction of Two Million Dollars
Worth of Pork Property In -
Chicago.

AAASsSeo
Live Hogs Leap From the Windows
Phil Armour and Others Lose
Heavily.
Disasters to Firemen- One Man Killed and
Several Seriously Injured-The Suffo-
eating Smoke.
CHICAGO, June 27.-Early yesterday
morning one OF the employees OF the Chi
cago Packing and Provision Company OF
the Union stock yards discovered fire in
the tank room, and in few moments one
of the tanks exploded, scattering burning
lard over the adjacent buildings, and
dozen separate fires were soon competing
with each other in the destruction OF the
immense establishment Though the ire
was struck out last evening-fOurteen
and one-quarter hours after 1t started
the smoldering embers continued to
laden the air with the fumes OF roast pork,
and a fve-acre oven will remain on the
premises red-hot for at least couple OF
days. The Chicago Packing and Provision
Company's works occupy about SIX acres
of ground, bnt the fire was kept within the
distance bounded by Fortieth street, Cen
ter avenue, Forty second street and tho
railroad tracks, block west OF Center
avenue. This territory contains four large
buildings. The main building was 3OOx41o
feet. In it portion Of the killing was
done and the hanging, cutting. cur
e. IL trSns
slaughtering establishment, except the cur
ing, in q uroom in which were 19,OU,OO
pounds of short ribs. The main building
and its contents are total loss. The cur
ing room, lOOxl5O feet, and four stories
high, lost its root, but stone fire walls
saved it's contents, portion Of them in a
roasted condition. On the east side Of the
main building was the warehouse, 12Ox4OO
feet, four stories and basement. The two
upper floors at the south end were used for
killing purposes. In the warehouse were
1900 barrels of mess pork belonging to
Armour & Co. The building and much OF
the pork was wholly destroyed.
About 1900 live hogs were in the build
ing when the fire started but the cOmpany's
employees succeeded in getting most Of them
out. Between 6OO and 7OO hogs were burned
alive in the building. Back Of the main
building was the fertilizing factory lOO feet
square and the engine house 50 by Is feet.
Both structures were burned completely.
The fact that no wind was blowing when
the fire started was probably the only cir
cumstance that saved the entire stock yards
fron destruction. No person seems to
know the origin Of the fire, but
several saw the blaze simultaneously
as it went through the roof Of the tank
house. The flames began to rapidly eat
their way directly across the main build
ing, and huge sweeping circles were soon
whirling upward with roar that could be
heard for blocks. Twenty engines and
every reservoir in the yards was soon
brought into play, and oil the efforts OF the
firemen and hundreds of stOckyards em-
ployes were bent toward keeping the con-
flagratiou confined to the works OF the
Chicago Company.
1t was at this juncture while one little
squad Of firemen were standing in freight
car playing on the burning tank-roOm that
the tank exploded. A heavy beam smashed
through the roof of the car, breaking Pipe
man Bakers ankle and knocking Lieuten-
ant Elliott unconscious. Soon aftcrward
the walls OF the warehouse tumbled to
the ground, disclosing great heaps
Of mess pork. p. ID. Armour immedi-
ately set 2O0 men ut work removing
the meat and charred barrels Of it were
rolled out and carried away. In the debris
were carcasses of hogs roasted whole. The
charred bodies shriveled in shapeless
masses of cinders were mingled
with piles Of brick, blackened beams
and incinerated barrels. After the
flames had consumed most OF the
woodwork of the buildings the fire still held
sway in the great mounds of burning meat.
A smoke thick with fumes Of tons Of roast
ing pork rolled over the stock pens and
drove into the eyes of the fircmen, while
falling walls filled the air with particles
Of brick dust, binding and suffocating the
men. They were at times compelled to leave
their hose and plunge their heads into buck
cts of water. Then they sat in turns with
handkerchiefs dipped in water on their
swollen eyelids or bathed their blistercd
cheeks with dirty water.
Perhaps the most exciting scene Of the
day was presented when the men who were
attempting to drive through the covered
runways the live hogs in the upper stories
were forced by the flames to desist. Below
were scores Of wOrkmen rolling out bar
rels Of pork, and down on the crowd pell
nell leaped dozens of afrighted animals
that had jumped from the windows or
sprang through the open hatchways Tho
men who had braved the flames fed from
the falling hogs and at distance
watched for glimpses of the
squealing brutes that, crazed with pain,
were rushing madly about in their tall
prison of fire. About 9OU barrels of pork
| were saved before the hogs commenced
jumping. During the afternoon the firemen
gave their attention to saving the sh0rt-ribs
in the curing room. While number Of
the men were inside the main building one
of the division walls fell, seriously lnjuring
J. A. Schaffer, Thomas Murphy, w. w.
White, Captain Nichols and Thomas Elliott.
Mr.. Armour valued his 1900 barrels Of
pork at $3.50, 900. He said that with the
salvage and insurance he would come out
even. He was unable to give the amount
Of insurance. The plant of tho Chicago
Packing and Provision Company was valued
At $300, 600 and the stock at 500, loo. A
large portion OF the stock in store be-
longed to other parties and the loss will
be sustained by them. About half
Of the Chicago Packing and Provision Com
pany's 1000 employees will be thrown out Of
work. Fireman Michael Murphy died last
night President Henry K. Botsford, Of
the Packing and Provision Company, said
he did not know whether the company
would begin at once to rebuild, but thought
it would. All the losses in the fire, he said,
were fully covered by insurance, but it
would be impossible to give the details.
Boston City Official-'.Any thing
wrong with your money, miss?''
Schoolmarm-''Yes. you gave me q
counterfeit fifty-cent piece when got
my salary yesterday" Boston City
Official-"Ah! I see; you want a bet
ter half" Schoolmarm-"We I